a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device and method for generating a frothed milk product, especially thick milk shakes and milk froth for cappuccino.
b) Description of Prior Art
Milk shake machines for domestic or home use employ an agitator blade rotating at low speed to generate turbulence and mix ice cream and milk while entraining air bubbles to form a homogeneous mixture. These machines employ normal homogeneous milk.
Recently very thick milk shakes have become popular through their availability at fast-food chain outlets such as MacDonald's restaurants. These very thick milk shakes are developed employing a greater proportion of ice cream than conventional milk shakes, in commercial equipment having significantly more powerful motors than employed in milk shake machines designed for home use.
Milk shake machines developed for home or domestic use do not have the power to produce these popular very thick milk shakes, and their motors become bogged down and stressed when a mixture of thick consistency employing a large amount of ice cream is used. It is usually necessary to interrupt the mixing and allow the ice cream to soften, or add more milk.
Additionally milk shale machines developed for home use do not function well to produce a milk shake of thickened consistency when low fat or no-fat milks or yogurts are substituted for normal homogeneous milk and yogurt or low fat ice cream is substituted for normal ice cream.
Milk shakes thus tend to be of high fat content and the consumer does not have the option of employing low fat milk and yogurt or low fat ice cream to prepare a milk shake of thick consistency at home. When the low fat milk or yogurt is employed in existing milk shake machines designed for home use, the result is a thin liquid mixture.